The YouTube clip of her X Factor performance has been watched by almost three quarters of a million people and she can already count celebrities including Coleen Rooney, Rory Bremner and judge Gary Barlow among her fans.

But Leicester singer Sam Bailey insists she is "just a nobody trying to be a somebody".

Following her audition on the first show of the 10th series on Saturday night, when she performed Beyonce's Listen, the 36-year-old has been the most talked about act so far.

She wowed the judges again - along with an audience of thousands at Wembley Arena and millions of viewers at home - with her performance of Motown classic Who's Lovin' You last night.

Following the opening shows, Gary Barlow tweeted in response to an X Factor fan, saying Sam had been his favourite act of the weekend.

Sam, who is a prison officer at HMP Gartree in Market Harborough, said: “I feel like I’m in a snow globe. I was just a nice, relaxed girl and it feels like somebody has just shaken my world. It’s mental, it’s crazy.”

The mother-of-two said that her children, Brooke, eight, and four-year-old Tommy, and her husband, Craig, 40 - who were seen supporting her through the auditions - were her biggest fans.

“The emotion from my kids, it’s always at the back of my mind - I just want to make them proud,” said Sam. “My husband keeps me grounded. When I returned from my first audition he gave me a metre-and-a-half pile of ironing to do.”

Sam, who has been working at Gartree Prison for three years, said the support from her colleagues had also been “immense”.

She said: “A few prisoners saw my audition. “I’m a musical person anyway, I work with inmates on a certain wing. I encourage them to play musical instruments.

“Few people knew I was a bit of a singer, I didn’t mention that I was going onto the show until after I had done my first audition.

“But I’m still a professional prison officer."

Despite the series only being two shows in, Sam is already one of the favourites to win.

Bookies William Hill are offering odds of 6-1.

And Sam is already getting a taste of fame, with a fan page being set up on Facebook and her Twitter following shooting up from just over 400 to more than 11,000 since Saturday night.

2 comments

good luck sam we are all backing you at the wigston rbl now the elms social club. well forgive you this time for not appearing sat. lets go all the way show them what you can do sending you soooo much good luck mandy stu the staff , customers and committee show them what you can do well all be watching .
Sam to win the xfactor

Sam was excellent (as I said in another post) under this heading! We all wish Sam well and back her but we don't need so many posts over this!! Keep it under one roof please :) Sam to win X Factor, you never know good luck Sam :)